By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 12:12:00 06/27/2008
NEW YORK CITY -- The meeting between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Senator Barack Obama will no longer push through, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza announced before midnight Thursday (Friday in Manila).
The two leaders instead talked over the phone when Obama, the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, called Arroyo at 3:15 p.m. here and welcomed her visit to the US and recognized that her trip would boost efforts to have a bill providing pension benefits for Filipino veterans of World War II passed before the US Congress, Dureza said.
Dureza said the phone conversation lasted for a few minutes only but that Arroyo was “upbeat†and in “high spirits†after the call.
“There will be no more person to person visit between the President and Obama,†he said in a press conference.
Dureza said the two could not meet because of conflicting schedules.
Arroyo was supposed to meet Obama last June 25 but was moved to Thursday night due to the conflicting schedules of the two officials.
In a separate statement issued last June 24, Obama offered his condolences to Arroyo and to the victims and families of typhoon “Frank†(international codename: Fengshen).
At the same time, Obama urged the US government to provide “emergency support.â€
"I wish first to express my sympathies through President [Gloria Macapagal] Arroyo to the victims and families of typhoon Fengshen, which has just hit the southern portion of the Philippines, leaving tremendous devastation in its wake,†Obama said.
“I urge the US government to provide emergency support to alleviate the suffering caused by this catastrophic natural disaster,†he said.
Obama also welcomed Arroyo’s visit to the US, saying it was an opportunity to strengthen the historic alliance of the two countries and discuss a host of issues of mutual interest.
"The bond between the United States and the Philippines is strong and enduring. The Philippines has been an important ally of the United States through World War II, the Cold War, and now the fight against terrorism and extremism,†he said.
Obama said the 1954 Manila Pact formed a cornerstone of US policy in Southeast Asia during the Cold War, and the Philippines continued to be one of only two US treaty allies in Southeast Asia today.
After the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the Philippines also worked closely with the US to root out Al-Qaeda and its affiliates in the region, he said.
Obama, likewise, expressed his support for the continuing joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines.
He said both countries must also address many challenges going forward, including the future of ASEAN (Association of the Southeast Asian Nations), the continuing tragedy in Burma, implementation of recently-authorized Millennium Challenge Account assistance, and alleviation of the effects of the global food crisis on the Philippines.
“We should deal with these challenges with confidence in the foundation of our common interests and the shared values on which our relationship is based,†Obama added.
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